Tag Archives: Tom Westerlin

Last weekend, courtesy of Dell, I had the opportunity to attend The Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art here in New York City. My role at Nice Shoes is creative director for VR/AR/360, and I was interested to see how the worlds of interactive and traditional art would intersect. I was also curious to see what role brands like Dell would play, as I feel that as we’ve transitioned from traditional advertising to branded content, brands have emerged as benefactors for the arts.

It was great to have so many artists represented that had created such high-quality work, and unlike other art shows I’ve attended, everything felt affordable and accessible. Art is often priced out for the average person and here was an opportunity to get to know artists, learn about their process and possibly walk away with a beautiful piece to bring into the home.

The curators and sponsors created a very welcoming, jovial atmosphere. Kids had an area where they could draw on the walls, and adults had access to a bar area and lounge where they could converse (I suppose adults could have drawn there as well, but some needed a drink or two to loosen up). The human body was also a canvas as there was an artist offering tattoos. Overall, the organizers created an infectious, creative vibe.

A variety of artists were represented. Traditional paintings, photography, collage, sculpture, neon and VR were all on display in the same space. Seeing VR and digital art amongst traditional art was very encouraging. I’ve encountered bits of this at other shows, but in those instances everything felt cordoned off. At The Other Art Fair, every medium felt as if it were being displayed on equal ground, and, in some cases, the lines between physical and digital art were blurred.

Samsung had framed displays that looked like physical paintings. Their high-quality monitors sat flat on the wall, framed and indistinguishable from physical art.

Dell’s 8K monitor looked amazing. It was such a high resolution and the pixel density was very tight. It looked perfect for displaying a high-resolution photo at 100%. I’d be curious to see how galleries take advantage of monitors like these. Traditionally, prints of photographs would be shown, but monitors like these offer up new potential for showcasing vivid texture, detail and composition.

Although I didn’t walk out with a painting that night, I did come away with the desire to keep my eye on a number of artists — in particular, Glen Gauthier, Paul Richard, Laura Noel and Beth Radford. They all stood out to me.

As the lines between art and advertising blur, there are always new opportunities for brands and artists to come together to create stunning content, and I expect many brands, agencies, and creative studios to engage these artists in the near future.